Figeac - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019

Vinous

99 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2022

The 2019 Figeac is without question one of the wines of the vintage. All the promise it showed as a young barrel sample, is all there in bottle, too. Estate Director Frédéric Faye crafted a towering, statuesque Figeac built on vertical energy and a feeling of vibrancy that never lets up. Deep layers of red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers are framed by a super-classic expression of structure that keeps things in balance. There is a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, and that definitely comes through. Readers who can find the 2019 should not hesitate, as it is truly majestic.

Vinous

99 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2022

The 2019 Figeac is without question one of the wines of the vintage. All the promise it showed as a young barrel sample, is all there in bottle, too. Estate Director Frédéric Faye crafted a towering, statuesque Figeac built on vertical energy and a feeling of vibrancy that never lets up. Deep layers of red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers are framed by a super-classic expression of structure that keeps things in balance. There is a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, and that definitely comes through. Readers who can find the 2019 should not hesitate, as it is truly majestic.

Vinous

98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/17/2022

The 2019 Figeac was bottled in mid-July. Deep in color, with a bouquet that is initially backward and reticent. It requires a few minutes to shake off the veil of oak from the élevage. As I observed last year, the Cabernet Franc is very expressive this year, contributing blackberry and graphite notes and lending a more Left Bank-style bouquet. The palate is very fresh from the first moment, and very well structured, delivering layers of black fruit struck through by a fine bead of acidity. The tannins are very fine, and that crucial saline element appears toward the persistent finish. This is overtly classic in style and will require cellaring to reveal its full potential. But what potential! Chapeau, Frédéric Faye and team Manoncourt.

Wine Advocate

98-100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe7/15/2020

The 2019 Figeac is composed of 30% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 13th of September to the 7th of October. The alcohol this year is 14.1% and the pH is 3.7. Steal-your-heart scents of mulberries, black raspberries, Black Forest cake and cassis prance ever so gracefully out of the glass, followed by nuances of plum preserves, red roses, cinnamon toast and clove oil plus just a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with electric energy, framed by a solid backbone of wonderfully ripe, grainy Cabernet-led tannins and bold freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence and with tons of emerging earth and floral layers. This is a simply stunning, seemingly effortless, beautifully harmonious expression of the vineyard and the vintage - bravo!

WeinWisser

20 / 20

the7/7/2020

Bettane & Desseauve

99 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe7/3/2020

19,5

Vinous

97-99 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/18/2020

A stunning vivid wine, the 2019 Figeac may very well turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage, when all is said and done. Cabernet Franc is 36%, a bit higher than the norm, which has been closer to 30%. The 100% new oak is barely perceptible. Rich and dramatic in the glass, the 2019 soars with magnificent intensity. Graphite, cured meats, smoke, licorice, menthol and spice develop with aeration, but the 2019 is dense and very primary today. It is a truly grand Grand Vin in the making. Estate Director Frédéric Faye describes a year of starting and stopping in terms of maturity. He chose to start harvest with the young vine Merlots on sand early to preserve freshness, but waited on the parcels with Cabernet on clay/gravel, where the soils retain more moisture. Faye opted for gentle winemaking as he was concerned over-extracting the Cabernets in particular.

Vinous

97-99 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/16/2020

The 2019 Figeac was picked from 13 September to 7 October, a total of 4 weeks picking. There is a little more emphasis on the Cabernet Franc this year - 36% of the blend. It is quintessential Figeac on the nose, that is to say that the enticing mélange of Merlot and Cabernet together creates more than a sum of their parts. Here the blackberry, crushed stone and graphite elements are seamlessly enmeshed with the more ravishing red fruit aspects delivered by the ripe Merlot. It is exquisitely defined. The palate is medium-bodied. First impressions are of a Figeac that leans more to the Cabernet/Left Bank side of its personality, quite structured with black fruit dominating, saline and marine-influenced. The Merlot really comes through towards the close delivering that almost clinical mineral-driven finish. Winemaker Frédéric Faye and his team have conjured a deeply impressive, intellectual Figeac this years, amongst the canon of greats that stretch back to the 1940s.

Jancis Robinson

18,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe6/15/2020

"Exquisite wine (...) Very pure and precise, the crafting spot on. Lovely line and length with plenty of drive and persistence. Refreshing, saline finish. A classic Figeac in its elegance and restraint (...)"

Yvesbeck.wine

98-99 / 100

byYves Beckthe6/12/2020

"Beaucoup de fraîcheur dans le bouquet de ce vin où les notes florales se distinguent particulièrement. Belle symbiose entre des notes de cerises, de myrtilles et de pivoines (...) Les tannins sont compacts, aux grains fins (...) Un vin qui se révèle avec finesse, avec
délicatesse mais également avec conviction et caractère."

Jean-Marc QUARIN

97 / 100

byJean-Marc Quarinthe6/12/2020

"Figeac possède 36 % de cabernet franc, soit la plus forte proportion qu'il n'ait jamais eue. Bouche au toucher magique, où le vin fond, caresse, s'étire, sur un gras fin qui se laisse sucer en finale. Ce n'est pas du tannin, mais une texture grasse qui est le signe d'un très
grand lieu viticole. Sensation divine (...) "

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

byJeff Levethe6/10/2020

Beautifully dark, almost purple/garnet in color, the wine gets you going with its nose of flowers, blackberry, dark plums, spice, smoke, vanilla, cherries, licorice and tobacco leaf. As good as that is, when the wine hits your palate, the show starts with its majestic textures. Voluptuous, opulent and silky, the wine seeks attention, but it's not loud, it's discreet. Classic and yet, voluminous, the flamboyant palate-coating finish, with its multiple layers of fruit stays with you for close to 60 seconds. The wine was made from a classic blend of 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot reaching 14.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and is aging in 100% new, French oak barrels. The harvest took place September 13 - October 7. 97-99 Pts

Jamessuckling.com

98-99 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe6/5/2020

This is one of the most structured and linear Figeac with very fine tannins, yet at an intense level. So complex on the nose with notes of white flowers, blueberries and graphite. It’s full-bodied, very balanced and agile. So transparent and linear with brightness and raciness. 36% cabernet franc, 30% merlot and 34% cabernet sauvignon.